


Messy Head and Heart

by SereneCalamity



Series: Give In To Him [5]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Daddy Kink, Drunkenness, Gay Billy Hargrove, Light Angst, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Mainly Steve, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Friendship, Soft Billy Hargrove, Tattoos, dumb boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-21 17:07:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20697038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SereneCalamity/pseuds/SereneCalamity
Summary: Steve gets an impromptu tattoo to make himself feel better about Billy's upcoming departure and is drunk by the time he gets back to their apartment.





	Messy Head and Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Next installment! Hope you guys enjoy it.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, and as usual, this isn't edited, will be done later.

"So what inspired this impromptu tattoo?" Robin Buckley asked with a grin as Steve Harrington scrunched up his nose as the needle of the tattoo gun passed over the bone of his ankle again. Robin didn't complain as he tightened the grip on her hand, but that was probably because just before this, she'd gotten her nipple pierced and she's practically driven all of her nails through the top of Steve's hand when the needle had gone through.

"You know me," Steve shrugged a shoulder, trying to be nonchalant. "I'm always up for another tattoo." And Robin just shrugged in response, because it was true, Steve had a whole array of tattoos.

"Alright," Mark Firth pulled back and rolled his shoulders. "All done." He nodded over to the ceiling to floor length mirror a few feet away from them. "You want to go and have a look?" Steve nodded, letting go of Robin's hand and walking over to the mirror, favouring his left leg slightly, given the new tattoo he had just gotten. It was only small, and only just an outline, really, with a little detail around the eye and ear of the elephant. He smiled down at it, although the smile felt a bit forced because this was one of those occasions where he had decided to get a tattoo because he had felt the need to do something to make himself feel _happy_.

It had been a while since he had felt that way, but ever since seeing the little email notification on Billy Hargrove's phone last week, the morning of his fathers funeral, he'd been feeling out of sorts. He hadn't said anything to Billy, even though usually Billy would be the person that he would talk to when he started feeling this way, but he really didn't _want_ to. Then he would have to tell Billy that it was _because_ of him that he was feeling this way, that he thought they were a team, that they were best friends even if there was some kissing and orgasms involved now, and he had so badly wanted to show Billy that he wasn't alone and that Steve wasn't going to leave him literally the night before he had seen the text message, but in reality, it was Billy who was going to be leaving Steve.

"You happy with it?" Mark spoke up and Steve snapped out of his thoughts, turning around and nodding at the tattoo artist. He'd been to this studio a bunch of times, and Mark had done four of his tattoos in total now, and he'd done just as well on this one. Although, to be fair, it wasn't that difficult a tattoo, just an outline of a elephant on the outside of his ankle. He was pretty sure it would have to take a real amateur to fuck it up. But he already loved the look of it, and for the first time in a few weeks, he felt a little bit better.

"Yeah, it's perfect," he nodded at Mark and smiled.

"Good. Get back up on the table and I'll put some antiseptic on and wrap it and then you can go through aftercare and payment with Jaz," Mark said, even though by this point, Steve had the aftercare instructions memorized. Robin was tapping away on her phone, leaning back in the support person chair that was next to the table, and she wasn't paying attention as Mark gently spread some cream over Steve's new tattoo and then wrapped it in cling wrap. Steve rolled his jeans back down gently over his ankle after and slid back into his shoes, glad that the spot he had chosen for the new tattoo was _just_ high enough that most of the shoes he wore wouldn't rub against it was he was healing, and he'd just keep away from any boots until it was all healed.

They paid at the front desk, Robin for her piercing and Steve for his tattoo, and they both had to hear about the aftercare instructions, even though Robin had almost as many piercings as Steve so was well-versed in what she needed to do to look after them, and then the two were heading outside. They'd come here in Robins car after work, since Billy had dropped Steve off that morning and time and time again, Robin and _swore_ to Steve that she wasn't going to get on the back of his motorbike, but that worked in Steve's favour since Robin had decided that they were going to go to a bar after their body modification adventure, and at least this way, he wouldn't have to worry about leaving his bike somewhere overnight when he had to uber back to his apartment.

"Okay, so, it was from a line in a song?" Robin asked as they found a spot in the busy bar, and dragged themselves up on bar stools.

"Yeah, a Yungblud one," Steve replied as they flicked their eyes over the sticky drinks menu. He wasn't going to get into _which_ song it was or _what_ the lyrics were because Robin was all sass and brilliance and she was also incredibly blunt and if he told her that the line that had inspired his most recent addition to the ink on his body was '_I'm insecure so I got a tattoo of an elephant_' she was going to demand that he explain what had brought it on.

"Ooh, yeah, you sent me one of his songs last week. It was pretty good," Robin nodded and then shifted the topic. "Okay, I'm thinking tequila shots to start off."

"To start off?" Steve snorted and Robin nodded.

"Fuck yes. It's a Friday and you've been moping all week and then I had to deal with Taron's mum this morning and that's always a nightmare so _yes_, we're _starting off_ with tequila shots," Robin replied. "I've got the first round." Steve grinned and just nodded, because he wasn't going to complain. Taron Hutton was a cute kid who had been coming to _Sunnynook Child Centre_ for nearly six months now, and no-one had an issue with him, but his mother, on the other hand, was a completely different story. They literally took turns dealing with Kate Hutton, and today, it had been Robin's turn, and so she had to listen to the mothers angry tirade about how Taron had come home with mosquito bites. She had been trying to insist that there were fleas in the carpet of the day care, and it had been an almost half hour conversation before Stephanie Anders had taken pity on Robin and swooped in. "You gonna tell me _why_ you been moping?" Robin asked when she came back with four tequila shots and a little tray with the lime wedges and glass salt shaker.

"Nope," Steve responded, popping the 'p' and giving her what he deigned as a stern look, but Robin just rolled her eyes and picked up the first shot.

"I'll get it out of you," she said with a shrug.

* * *

Robin _didn't_ get it out of him, which was a good thing, because Steve had a really good night—the least stressful night that he had had in a few weeks now—and Billy didn't come up until just after eleven when Robin had come out of the bathrooms and said that it was probably time that they left. Steve had pouted as he looked up from the empty glasses on their table and Robin had mumbled that she had met some pretty girl in the bathroom who had asked her what she had been up to earlier in that day, and when she had told her that she had gotten a piercing and the other girl had asked to see it, Robin had had no qualms about pulling her top down and showing her brand new nipple piercing.

"If I'm just showing my tits in dingy New York bars to every pretty girl who asks, I think that's a sure sign that...We're done here. I've already ordered an uber," Robin slurred and Steve huffed out a sigh, picking up one of the glasses that he had been drinking from before, it was some pink vodka concoction, and he tipped it upside down as he brought it to his lips, drinking back what little was left in there.

Then he snorted out a laugh, because Robin was pretty confident and out going, but she was probably going to be absolutely horrified at herself in the morning when she realized that she had just flashed some girl in a dirty bathroom.

Steve laughed again as he looked up and Robin narrowed her eyes at him, trying to give him an angry look, but then Steve reached out and booped her on the nose with his finger, and then she started laughing as well. Her nose scrunched up and she kind of snorted when she laughed really hard, and Steve felt bad that they hadn't done this more often, because it was clear that they were having a really good time.

They'd been at the bar for nearly four hours now, and the place was completely filled now, so as soon as they moved away from their table, it was quickly taken. Steve went up to the bar to settle the rest of their tab and threw an arm around Robin's shoulders as they steered themselves out of the bar. Outside the bar was just as busy though, people smoking and leaning against the tall tables and others just walking by on the footpath, and Robin nearly dropped her phone as she pulled it out of her oversized bag, letting out a hiss in surprise.

"Adam is nearly here!" Robin announced, waving the phone in Steve's face. His vision was just a smidge blurry and he read that Adam was their uber driver, and he was only about three minutes away, as long as traffic wasn't bad. They walked closer to the curb, although not too close, because they were swaying together and they both knew it wouldn't be too good an idea to stand right on the curb and potentially them stumble out onto the road. "So? What are your plans tonight?" Robin asked before she hiccuped. Then she grinned and shouldered Steve. "You gonna let your _daddy_ take care of you?" She asked in a faux-whisper and Steve blinked as his mind settled on Billy for the first time in several hours. At least, settled on him properly, because he'd only fleetingly thought about him a few times when he sent a couple of texts and snapchats.

"Umm..." Steve hummed out, and there was an excited jump in his stomach at the idea of going home to Billy, who hadn't seen since that morning, and maybe kind of at the whole daddy thing as well. It didn't matter that there was something happening that Billy hadn't spoken with Steve about, or that he was keeping a secret from him, he was still stupidly excited to see him. Maybe not _as_ excited as he usually was—as he would have been if he was this drunk and going home to Billy and it had been a few weeks and he hadn't seen the email from the realtor—but still excited.

"Is Billy the reason that you've been moping?" Robin stuck out her lower lip and suddenly looked sad. "Because I like you and Billy together." Steve's arm was about to slide off her shoulder but she grabbed at it. "I know you're not _together_-together or whatever, but you're such good friends and I don't like guys or dick or anything but you guys just look like the type of couple who would have good sex, and that's not something to be taken lightly!" Steve snorted and he was about to reply to her when she was suddenly jumping away from him. "That's Adam's car!" She pointed out to a red Mazda approaching them and the conversation broke off temporarily. Once they got into the backseat, Robin gave her address first and then Steve gave his, and they pulled away from the curb. "Okay, so, back to what I was saying."

"About me and Billy?" Steve arched an eyebrow.

"About the daddy stuff," Robin got right to the point, and she lowered her voice a _tiny_ bit, but Adam, their lovely uber driver, could probably hear them. But Steve was just as drunk as Robin was, so he really didn't care.

"The daddy stuff," Steve repeated back slowly and Robin nodded her head eagerly.

"I can totally see you guys into that! I mean, he always acts like he owns the place, kind of like a douche, but obviously totally head over heels for you, and he wants to be all big and bad and look after you and shit," Robin was nodding her head, obviously completely agreeing with what she was saying. "I could totally see him as your daddy," she stated seriously and Steve just blinked at her. "Oh shit—are you not into it?" She asked, wrinkling her nose and making a face. "Actually, I guess you never told me if _you_ were into it," Robin tilted her head to the side and heaved out a sigh. "Shit, I think I just assumed your kink. I know you told me that he was into it, and then we got interrupted and we haven't talked about it since..." she trailed off and finally looked back at Steve and Steve couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, is this the part where_ I_ get to talk now? Coz it seemed as though you were having a great conversation all by yourself," Steve grinned and Robin punched him in the arm.

"So?!" She demanded.

"So what?" He widened his eyes and made a face back at her.

"Are you into calling Billy _daddy_ or not?!" Robin cried out, and even though they had clearly been trying to keep their voices down and not succeeding, given how much they had had to drink, now Robin wasn't been _trying_ to keep her voice down and their driver—poor Adam—could definitely hear what was being said. Unfortunately, both of his passengers were too drunk to care.

"I don't know...I—" Steve broke off.

"I mean, it's not for everyone," Robin replied, as though trying to reassure him, even though Steve was already aware of that. Steve _knew_ that kinks weren't for everyone and he knew that just because the person he was getting off with was into something, it didn't mean he had to as well. Although...He admittedly had played along multiple times in the past, just let himself go along with something that he wasn't really into because he didn't want his lover to leave, because he had that whole thing about loneliness and being left behind. "Steve?" Robin's voice was gentle, and it was like she could read that on his face.

Which was disconcerting.

Only Billy had ever really read those things before he had known him so well.

"I think that maybe I would be? Into it? I mean, we've sort of talked about it—_once_—and I liked it then, but then I don't know if that was just because I was all caught up in the moment?" Steve shrugged a shoulder.

"I mean, there's such a thing as post-nut clarity," Robin made a face. "There's a lot of things that we get into just to get off with and then feel fucking weird about it afterwards."

"Yeah, and I wouldn't want to, ya know,_ do it_, if I felt like that because it's obviously more than that to Billy," Steve told her. Robin nodded her head, a few more times than she would have if she had been sober.

"You know Stephanie is super into it, right?" Robin stated and Steve noted.

"We were _both_ out at that bar with her when she got so plastered she had to be carried home, and talked about her sex life for a solid forty minutes," he reminded Robin and Robin laughed. Then she looked back out the window and hummed under her breath as she realized that they were coming up close to her apartment building.

"Alright, well, we need to do this more often," Robin said as she clumsily gathered up her bag. "Get together and shit. Maybe not the piercing and tattoos, but definitely the drinks." She leaned over and punched Steve in the arm, with a lot more force than he had been expecting. "And I hope you let Billy look after you and get you off tonight, whether you call him daddy or not," she smirked as the car came to a stop at the curb and then she grabbed the handle. "He's paying!" She announced to Adam before she was getting out of the car and walking a little unsteadily toward the door of her building. Steve rolled his eyes at getting dumped with the bill, but to be fair, she had paid for their food that night.

"Just wait until she gets into the building," he told the driver, watching as Robin had to navigate around a few people on her way to the front door of the apartment building. Once she was inside, Adam pulled away from the curb and merged back with the traffic, on route to the second address, Steve's apartment. Steve twisted his lips together as he looked at the back of the headrest in front of him, the grey and blue patterned material and he let out short, hard breath through his nose.

Steve was trying to keep his thoughts all straight, even though the alcohol was muddling his brain, and he thought that he was doing a pretty good job, if he was being honest.

"Daddy," he stated quietly, saying the word for the second time. Or, he had undoubtedly said it before, but only saying it for the second time in relation to a whole _sexual_ thing. Or, no, that was wrong, because it wasn't _all_ sexual, Billy had said that right from the start, when this had first come up. It was about looking after someone and taking care of them. It was more than just a word and it was more than just sex and...It did fit them. That one time that it had come up—and it hadn't come up again, which was maybe because Billy was waiting for _him_ to bring it up first because he didn't want Steve to feel uncomfortable about it—it had kind of felt normal. Natural.

Billy would rub his feet when he had had a long day at work.

And he would take off Steve's old nail polish and then carefully pick out a new colour to repaint his nails with.

And he made sure Steve took his pills, especially when Steve was in a bit of a spacey mood, more likely to forget.

And he reassured Steve about things that he didn't have any obligation to reassure him about; that he was good enough, that he was pretty enough, that he was smart enough, that _he was enough_.

Up until just the other weekend, he had been that one solid person who had made Steve feel as though he wasn't going to be left behind.

Steve didn't want to think about that right now, because when he got upset when he was drunk, he had a tendency to spiral, so he resolutely decided he was _not_ going to think about that email that he had seen from the realtor, and the fact that Billy was probably going to be telling him any day now that he was going to be moving out.

"Dude? You alright? Still having your daddy crisis back there?" Adam asked, and there was a playful tone to his voice which made Steve feel a _little bit_ better as he managed a rueful smile to where the driver was looking over his shoulder.

"I'm good," Steve replied as he realized that they were pulled up outside his apartment building. "How much do I owe you?" He dug around in his back pocket for his wallet and had to blink a couple of times because his vision was a bit blurry as he tried to differentiate between his credit card and his library card. Adam told him the price and handed him back the little portable credit card machine, and Steve swiped it through and quickly put in his pin, not fumbling once.

"Hope everything goes well!" Adam called out to him as he got out of the car and walked slowly up to his apartment building.

Steve mentally made a note to check in with Robin and make sure that she gave Adam a good review.

He swiped his card at the main door of the apartment building, and then walked slowly toward the elevator doors. The bright lights of the lobby hurt a bit, compared to the dark bar, and then the still reasonably dark outside and car interior with only car and traffic lights and flashing signs, and so coming into the brightly lit building was a change and he squinted and mashed his hand over his face and groaned and if anyone walked past him, he really wouldn't be able to hide how drunk he was. Once he got into the elevator, he swiped his card again to get up to his floor, and he leaned against the metal side, closing his eyes so he didn't have to see how drunk he was.

He hadn't planned _quite_ on going that hard tonight.

Robin was right though—he had been moping all week.

He felt shaky and off balance and insecure—the reason he had gone and gotten _that_ specific tattoo that afternoon—and he'd never actually felt that way because of Billy before.

It was stupid, because really, they were just friends who had gotten each other off a couple of times. _More_ than a couple of times, but still. And Billy called him _baby_ now, and they fell asleep together on the couch a lot now, but they weren't together-together. Usually Steve only felt this way about people that he was in a relationship with. Or his parents, they were the root of his insecurity, years of therapy had taught him that, but mainly it manifested when it came down to relationships, because his _friendships_ were all really solid.

The doors _dinged_ open and Steve stepped out onto his floor, wrestling his keys out of his front pocket when they got awkwardly caught on his belt buckle, and then he was trying to fit them into the lock of his front door. It was on attempt three that the door opened and Billy was standing on the other side, wearing pyjama pants that _definitely_ belonged to Steve, since Billy didn't own pyjamas—or any type of unnecessary clothing—and no shirt. Steve stared at Billy's bare chest for a few beats, and it took a snort from his roommate to get him to drag his eyes back up, and then he was stepping into the apartment.

"I think I want to call you daddy," is what Steve blurts out before Billy had even closed the door and Billy freezes. He recovers well, though, closing the door and then stepping back in front of Steve with an amused smile, one eyebrow arched.

"And I think you're drunk," he replied, voice just a bit gentle.

"I got a tattoo," Steve informs him and Billy's smile falters a little.

"A tattoo?" He asked, and his eyebrows pull together.

"Yeah!" Steve replied with a grin, instantly reaching down to grab at his jeans and try to show Billy, but he doubled over too quick, and it made his head swim and his vision went a little blurry and then Billy was straightening him up again and Steve was pressed right up against his bare chest and Steve rested a hand on Billy's pec. "Damn," Steve murmured, his thumb gently down his skin, around the definition that was ridiculous, because Billy hardly ever went to the gym anymore and yet he was still built like he had been back in high school when he had been working out every day.

"You want to shower before bed?" Billy asked, and he was smiling again, but it wasn't as much as before.

"That sounds like it'll take _forever_," Steve grumbled, eyeing up the couch. There was a pizza box that was flipped open and a few slices left, and a couple bottles of beer scattered around it. The neon green playstation controller that Steve had brought for Billy last year—after he had accidentally spilt bong water all over his last one—was lit up, so he had obviously been playing some game.

"So you had a good night?" Billy asked, and there was something kind of _off_ about his voice but Steve didn't pay much attention to it. He pushed off Billy and started walking toward the kitchen, making a face when he noted the dishes still on the bench—he had meant to wash them when he had gotten home that afternoon, because he hadn't been planning on going out to get a tattoo. But he felt pretty confident about his decision.

"I think I have to hang out with Robin more often. It's a good time," Steve stated. "I actually feel as though all the alcohol is just hitting me the worst now," he added, mainly to himself, frowning down at the sink.

"Did you need anything?" Billy asked, suddenly appearing behind Steve and Steve nodded.

"Water would be good," he murmured, and Billy nodded, going to the cupboard and taking out a glass, and then filling it with cold water from one of the bottles in the fridge. Steve finished almost the whole glass in one go, and Billy was smiling a little wider now. "Can we talk about me calling you daddy now?" Steve asked bluntly, holding the glass with both hands in front of him, slumping back a little against the bench.

"I don't think now is a good time for you to be doing a whole lot of thinking," Billy said, sounding amused.

"I think my thinking ability is working just fine!" Steve retorted. "I'm thinking really well, I'm just...Not talking really well, maybe," he shrugged a shoulder and then finished off the rest off the tiny bit of water left in the glass and then held it out to Billy. Billy took it from him without saying anything, filling it again, and Steve drank from this one a lot slower, watching Billy over the rim of the glass. Billy was watching him carefully, and his eyes looked dark, but that could be the fact that they didn't have the lights on in the kitchen, only in the lounge.

"Finish the rest of that water," Billy told him softly after a few moments, nodding at the glass before leaving the kitchen. He was gone for only a minute before he came back and held out his hand, with two white capsules. "Take the ibuprofen, help with your head overnight." Steve smiled at Billy and took the capsules from him before Billy was going into the lounge to tidy things up. Steve watched as he turned off the TV and did a poor job of straightening up the throw blanket over the back of the couch and then he brought the pizza box into the kitchen and shoved it into the fridge. Then he disappeared from view and Steve was left alone in the kitchen, with the ibuprofen and half a glass of water.

He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but he felt like there should have been _more_.

He had psyched himself up to this and he had just expected Billy to...Be more excited? Or more into it? Since he was the one who had mentioned that it was something that he was into, right back when they had first kissed and starting fooling around, he had made it sound like it was something that he would be into Steve calling him, and so Steve had just...Thought there'd be _more_.

But then he didn't want to make Billy uncomfortable.

Maybe he didn't want whatever _this_ was and that made Steve feel uncertain and a bit unsteady.

Billy was already looking at moving out, which Steve had sort of put together with Billy looking at wanting to end their arrangement, but it had been _such_ a good night, and he always felt better after he had gone out and gotten a tattoo or a piercing or something that made him feel a little _different_ and he had just thought—

"Stevie?" Billy's voice was soft and Steve's head snapped up. Billy's face was gentle, it was like he could see all of Steve's insecurities playing out on his face. Billy came forward and he cupped one hand around the one that Steve had curled around the glass and the other gently touched the hand with the pills. "Take the pills. Drink the water." His voice was still soft, but there was a bit of firmer tone to it, and Steve immediately lifted the ibuprofen to his lips, tossed them back and then swallowed the last few mouthfuls of water. Billy nodded and then turned to leave, but he walked slowly, so that Steve had time to hurriedly put down the empty glass and follow after him. Billy lead him until the bathroom door and then nodded to it, and Steve went in, brushing his teeth and going to the toilet.

Staring in the mirror before he left the bathroom was always a fun experience, and he could totally understand why it was at that point that Robin had decided that was going to be when they were leaving the bar.

Although admittedly, she'd also gone and flashed a girl, but in her defense, the girl _had_ asked to see the piercing.

Billy was sitting on the edge of Steve's bed when he came in and Steve eyed Billy, feeling a little nervous. Billy wasn't smiling, but there was obvious interest in his face, so Steve took that as a good sign.

"Why'd you get a tattoo?" Billy asked quietly and Steve blinked.

"I—because...Because I wanted one," he said lamely, with the answer he gave everyone else.

"_Noooo_," Billy dragged out the word, lifting an eyebrow. "Every time you've gotten a tattoo in the past couple of years, or a piercings, or started wearing different jewelry or clothes or whatever, it's because something is wrong." Steve blinked again and then he felt stupidly happy for all of two seconds before he remembered that Billy was going to be leaving him. His eyelashes fluttered as tried to think of something to say, but his brain just kept coming back to the fact that Billy was looking at places that weren't _here_, that weren't with _Steve_.

He didn't realize how long he had been quiet until Billy cleared his throat, and he was frowning up at Steve, looking worried and Steve hated that, hated being the cause of Billy looking concerned.

"Okay," Billy murmured as he picked something up from the bed beside him, and Steve realized that it was antiseptic cream. "Let's get your pants off and I can put the cream on your tattoo."

"And then we're gonna do something else with our pants off?" Steve asked hopefully, his cock already beginning to perk up, and his brain _very_ excited to shift away from the idea of Billy leaving. But Billy was laughing and shaking his head.

"No, baby. Then we're going to sleep," he replied softly as he stood up. He stood in front of Steve and his fingers trailed down Steve's shirt, over his chest, before they reached his belt and began undoing it. Steve's cock was getting harder in his jeans and Billy must be able to feel it as he undone his belt and then worked on the button and the zipper, but he didn't say anything about it. Steve had to rest his weight against Billy and balance his hands on the blondes shoulder as he lifted one leg and then the other as Billy pushed his jeans down and then took them off over his ankle. "You want to sleep in this shirt?" Billy asked, fingering the hem of the maroon coloured shirt that Steve was wearing and Steve made a face, shaking his head. Billy gripped the shirt and Steve's arms just lifted automatically, letting Billy pull the shirt over his head.

He wasn't even _that_ drunk, he was pretty sure he would be able to undress himself, with a little bit of fumbling, but it was nice that Billy was willing to do it for him.

"Alright, come on," Billy encouraged him as he nodded at the bed. Steve didn't trip over as he crossed his room to his bed, but he was glad when he collapsed on his bed, all but laying out completely, just propping himself up on his elbows and watching as Billy moved to sit by his feet, pulling one onto his lap and then turning his ankle to look at his tattoo. "An elephant?" He questioned and Steve just shrugged. Billy nodded. "We're going to talk about this later, though, so don't think this is completely over." Steve drew his eyebrows together and pouted a little and Billy laughed. "It's cute," he commented as he took the cap off the antiseptic cream and squeezed some onto his finger before gently rubbing it over the tattoo. "Don't worry, I washed my hands just before."

"That's fine," Steve hummed, letting his elbows fall out from under him so that his head fell down onto the pillow. Billy's touch left tingles running across his skin and Steve _really_ wished that more was going to happen, but he would take what he could. Billy rubbed his ankle a bit longer than he needed to, thumbs digging into the arch of Steve's foot briefly before he was pulling away.

Steve didn't pout and whine, even though he wanted to, as Billy stood up and walked over to turn off the light, and was then coming back to the bed. He fumbled around for a few minutes, plugging Steve's phone into the charger by his bed in the dark, and then he was getting into the bed next to Steve, manhandling him gently, maneuvering him until he was turned over and facing the wall, and Billy was behind him, spooning him.

"What if I don't wanna sleep in this shirt?" Steve spoke up after a few minutes.

"Do you want to take your shirt off, baby?" Billy asked long-sufferingly, nothing but fondness in his voice.

"No," Steve mumbled in reply, because that would take _far_ too much effort right now and he was cozy in Billy's arms. Billy had his legs tucked up behind Steve's knees and the blanket was pulled up and over them, and he was just really nice and warm and he was suddenly really, really sleepy. His eyes closed and he was almost asleep, and Billy buried his face in his neck, his lips resting against Steve's skin.

Steve's only seventy percent certain he didn't dream Billy's last words before he fully fell unconscious.

"Daddy's clearly not doing a good job looking after you if you can't tell me why you're getting tattoo's to feel better."

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! Just a little bit of an update around some of my other works. The one that was sort of inspired by Rocketman, which has really just become a Billy as a rock star/singer and Steve is his Executive PA, is still going to be a series but they're going to a bit longer, sort of around 10k - 15k words per installment, so there won't be as many installments as this particular series is probably gonna end up with? The first one is nearly done, should be up next week.  
And the second one, a college AU where Billy is a frat boy and Steve is all soft and sweater wearin' is no longer going to be a series, it's just going to be a really long oneshot, or perhaps broken into two chapters.  
For either of these, if you guys have any requests or suggestions, let's talk! I've only written a very small part of the second one, and I've got a rough outline for the series, so I'm very open, and I love talking to you guys! Feel free to hit me up on my socials.
> 
> Please leave a comment, they make me so happy!  
Next installment—our boys finally talk, more daddy kink, maybe a few tears, maybe some butt stuff?  
Oh, and the tattoo Steve got is the one I just got a few weeks ago, inspired by the Yungblud song, who's one of my favourite singers. 
> 
> Twitter: CalamitySerene  
Tumblr: SereneCalamity


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